Music-roll-printing machine



-T. H. SPENCE AND '1. A. TURNELLQ m us| c ROLL Pmmms MACHINE.APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8- 192.9.

Patented May 23; 1922.

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MUSIC ROLL PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DIIC. 8. I920. 1,416,759.

tantra it W hall 0 TOM: H. SPENCE AND JULIUS A. TURNELL, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR-S TO Q. B. S. IVIUSIC COIVIPAITI, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A COREGRATION OF ILLINOIS.

MUSIC-ROLL-PRINTING MACHINE.

Application filed December 8, 1920.

T0 aZZ wile-n2 it may, concern:

Be it known that we, Torr H. Srnnon and JUL Us A. TURNELL, citizens ofthe United States, and having residence at Chicago, in the county ofCook and the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Music-Roll-Printing Mae chines, of which the followingis a specifica tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a practicable machine forprinting on the perforated note sheets, commonly called music rolls,which are employed for controlling automatic playing mechanisms, thewords of the song which may be sung to the music played by the notesheets, and for other mechanically similar purposes,that is, forapplying any desired marking at intervals on considerably extendedstrips. It consists in the elements and features of construction shownand described, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying theinvention in one form.

Figure 2 is a vertical section at the line, 2--2, on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view of a part of the structure shown in Figure 2,presenting a modification of certain details.

Figure l is a detail section at the line, et l, on Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail inverted plan view of one section and parts ofadjacent sections of the stamp holder with stamps therein.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of a music roll printed by thestamps shown in Figure 4L.

In the structure shown in the drawings, 1 is a table on which the stripsto be printed are extended. It may be understood that this table is fromtwenty to fifty feet in length, according to the maximum length of thenote sheets which are to be printed upon it. it being important for thepurposes of the invention that the table should accommodate the entirelength of the strips to be thus printed. 2 is a rock shaft which extendsalong the length of the table above the same nearer to one side or theother, being journaled in bearing brackets. 3, located at convenientintervals along the length of the table, to avoid undue springing of theshaft. At a there is shown a pile of Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 429,138.

strips (music rolls) to be printed, positioned on the table suitably forthat purpose. At a there is shown a second pile of strips which may beunderstood to be the strips which have been printed and have beentransferred one by one from the pile at 4 to the pile at at. On the rockshaft, 2, at intervals judged to be convenient, say from 3 feet tofeet,-and preferably adjacent to the bearing brackets, 23, in the formshown in Figure 2 are a plurality of lever arms, 5, all extending fromthe shaft inthe same ra dial plane adapted at their ends to carry theseveral sections, 6, of the printing blockholder element, each sectionbeing hereinafter called a holder. Each of these printing block holdersections is preferably a regular polygonal prism and the severalsections are axially aligned and connected together by means of apintle, 10, at one end of each sect-ion engaging a socket, 11, in theadjacent end of the next section, said pintles serving as the means ofmounting the holders or holder sections each upon two consecutive leverarms, 5, of the rock shaft, for carrying said printing block holders,andthe printing blocks, 12, therein as hereinafter described,-from inkingposition to printing position by the rocking of the shaft through 1.80degrees, carrying the lever arms up over the shaft, said printing blockholder section passing between the arms which carry them in theirmovement above the shaft from one position to the other. The printingblocks 12, are mounted on the faces of the polygonal prisms by means ofdove-tail grooves 6 extending longitudinally in said faces, anddove-tail ribs 12, formed on the back of the printing blocks which arepreferably of rub er and dimensioned so to engage in said dove-tailgrooves tightly enough to insure the several blocks retaining thepositions to which they are adjusted for printing their lines at thedesired points in the length of the note-sheet strip. Extending alongthe table at the opposite side of the vertical plane of the rock shaftfrom that at which the strips, "l, are lodged for printing. there isprovided an inking platen, 16, on which ink is spread by meanshereinafter described, for inking printing faces of the printing blockwhen they are swung over from the pile of strips, 4:, to said platen.For controlling the position of the printing block holders so that theprinting faces will be applied directly and without sliding on theinking platen, and also directly without sliding upon the strips to beprinted, there are provided controlling arms, 15, as many as desired,and preferably one for each of the lever arms, 5, for engagement at eachjunction of consecutive holders, 6, and in any event, not less than onefor each alternate, junction. These controller arms are engaged at oneend with the holders, 6, by insertion between the proximate ends of saidholders, and thereby in the vertical plane of the lever armsrespectively; their engagement being with both holders abutting at suchjunction, said engagement being made by spring lugs, 15*, struck fromthe arms, 15, engaging in recesses, 6", in the adjacent ends of theholders, 6, the slope of the fingers adapting them to yield to permitthe holders to be turned on their axis so as to present different faces,carrying different printing blocks, toward the ink platen for inking,and toward the strips, 4, for printing thereon. The opposite ends of thecontrolling arms are connected with the upper or free end of rock armswhich have their lower ends pivoted on the table support at 19.

For spreading ink upon the ink platen, 16, spreaders 0r wipers, 20, areprovided, preferably or conveniently, one for each holder section, 6,and all connected for operation by links, 22, with the rocker arms, 18,respectively.

For rocking the shaft, any convenient means may be provided; and it maybe rocked by hand by a crank handle, 25. But preferably a motormechanism isprovided for that purpose consisting of an electric motor,26, a gear train comprising a pinion, 27, on the motor shaft, and afinal gear, 28, and intermediate gears as may be found desirable forreducing the speed, one intermediate gear for that purpose being shown.The final gear, 28, of this train is loose on its shaft, 31, and isarranged to be clutched thereto by a tripped clutch device ofconstruction which is familiar in die presses and the like, adapted whentripped to give the shaft, 31, one complete revolution and trip out ofengagement always at the same point; and said shaft, 31, has a crankarm, 32, from which a link, 33, extends to a lever arm, 34:, which islonger than the crank arm, 32, and preferably enough longer, so thateach half revolution of the shaft, 31, rocks the lever arm back andforth through 90 degrees. .Said lever arm, 34, extends from a rockshaft, 35, which carries a segment gear, 36, meshed with a segment gear,37, whose radius compares to the radius of the first mentioned segmentgear, as the length of the crank arm, 32, to the length of the leverarm, 34:.

The result. of these proportions it will be seen, is that each halfrevolution of the shaft, 31, rocks the shaft, 35, through 180 degrees,while the next half revolution of said shaft, 31, rocks the shaft, 35,through the same 180 degrees, causing it to carry the printing blocksback and forth between inkreceiving position on the platen and printingposition on the pile of strips to be printed at l, and at the same timeby the same movement, the ink Spreaders, 20, are reciprocated back andforth over the inking platen distributing fresh ink at each movement tothe surface of the platen upon which the printing blocks are to lodge intheir return movement.

In Figure 3 there is shown a modification of the mechanical means bywhich the rock shaft swings the printing blocks from inking to printingposition and back. In this modification the lever arms of the rockshaft, des' ignated 5, in the construction shown in Figure 2 take theform of eccentrics, 40, fast on the shaft and still operatingsubstantially as lever arms, each having an eccentric strap or link, 41,extending down from the eccentric and engaging the central pintles ofthe printing block holders, and intermediately attached rigidly totheend of the controlling arm, 42, corresponding in function to thecontrolling arms, 15, of the other construction, and have their otherends connected to the upper end of the rocker arms, 18, which areidentical with similarly designated arms of the first describedconstruction. For holding the printing block holders rigid with theeccentric straps or link members, 41, and with the controlling arms, 42,respectively, there is provided upon the end of each of the controllingarms a latch, 43, adapted to be thrust into engagement with a notch 6with which the holder, 6, is provided, at the angle between the faces onwhich the printing blocks are mounted.

In both the forms shown, the hexagonal 110 prism printing block holdersare designed to have mounted upon their several faces the customaryprinting blocks for as many different music rolls as there are faces,six in the construction shown,on face No. 115 1 of all the holders, 6,in succession, from one end of the table, there will be mounted printingblocks in their proper order for printing rolls of one title or song; onface No. 2 of all the holders, there is mounted in 120 succession inproper order the printing blocks for title No. 2, and so on up to faceNo. 6. It will be understood that the several holders are mounted withtheir faces of the same number aligned,that is, with 125 the printingblocks for the same music roll arranged in succession in the same planefor printing. i

Preferably in either of the forms shown the weight of the holders andthe lever arms 130 which carry them, and the controlling arms, should becounter-poised to present a ham- Iner stroke of the printing block onthe plate and also upon the strips printed. Such counter-poise can beapplied to the rock shaft, 2, as shown in Figure 1, by means of an arm,50, attached at one end of the shaft, preferably the opposite end fromthat at which the driving connections are applied, said arms carrying aweight, 51, adjustable on the arm, and provided with a set screw forsecuring it at the proper position, ascertained by trial, for balancingthe weight of the parts mentioned.

I The operation of this machine is as follows:

Two operators are employed, one at each end of the table for handlingthe strip extended thereon. First, the pile is placed in position asshown at 4:. The motor being in operation but the rock shaft at restwith the printing blocks resting on the inking platen, the operator atthe end at which the motor is situated depressing the pedal, 60, tripsthe rock-shaft-operating connections into engagement, and the entireassemblage of printing block carriers being swung over from the inkingplate onto the pile of strips and thence back again onto the inkingplaten, while the operators lift the top sheet which has been printedoff from the pile, 4L, and place it in the position of 4*. If themechanism is rotated not more rapidly than one swing of the holders ineach direction per second, the operators can usually keep up with it,lifting the top sheet which has been printed off from one pile andplacing it on the other during the swinging of the printing blockholders away from the pile to the inking platen, and thus a completestrip will be printed at each complete revolution of the shaft, 31. Ifthe operators cannot keep up with the speed, or if any interruption ordelay occurs in any instance, the operator at the driving end releasingthe pedal 50, will interrupt the operation of the machine; and a stripmay be printed for each alternate revolution of said shaft.

We claim 1. In a machine for the purpose indicated, in combination witha table on which the strips to be printed may be extended, a rock shaftextending along the length of the table: a multiplicity ofprinting-blockholders and printing blocks carried thereby; meansoperatively connected to the rock shaft for giving the holders movementin planes transverse to the shaft and both parallel to and transverse tothe planes of the printing faces of the blocks; said means being withrespect to each holder, a lever member on the rock shaft which extendstherefrom for swinging through an arc above the shaft extending bothsides of the vertical plane of the latter, whereby its outer end movesdownward at both limits of the swing, and a controlling arm connected atone end with the lever member and means for guiding the other end in apath approximately parallel to the strip-supporting surface of thetable.

In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, th means for guidingsaid other end of the controlling arm being a rocker arm mounted upon afixed pivot and having its free end connected to the controlling arm.

3. In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, a rocker armmounted upon a fixed pivot, having its free end connected to thecontrolling arm; an ink platen parallcl with the sheet-supportingsurface of the table; an ink spreader on said platen, and a linkconnected with the spreader to the rocker arm.

-l. In a machine for the purpose indicated, in combination with a tableon which the strips to be printed may be extended; a rock shaftextending along the length of the table; a multiplicity of printingblock holders and printing block carried thereby; means con necting theprinting block holders with the rock shaft comprising with respect toeach holder, a lever member on the rock shaft which swings above theshaft, in the rocking movement of the latter through an arc ex tendingboth sides of the vertical plane of said shaft; an arm engaged at oneend by said lever member, the holder being carried at said end of saidarm; a member connected with the opposite end of said arm mounted forhaving at the point of said connection a movement which is approximatelyparallel with th strip-supporting surface of the table, an ink platenparallel with said surface, and an ink-spreader connected with saidelements for movement thereby over the ink platen.

5. In the construction defined in claim I, foregoing, the lever memberson the rock shaft being each an eccentric; a co-operating eccentricstrap connected with the holder, the controller arm being rigid with thestrap and the holder.

6. In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, the lever memberson the rock shaft being each an eccentric, a co-operating eccentricstrap connected with the holder, the controller arm being rigid with thestrap and the holder. and a rocker arm connected at one end to thecontroller arm and at the other end to a fixed pivot.

'7. In combination with construction defined in claim 1. foregoing,means for rocking the shaft, consisting of a rotating crank, lever armlonger than the crank, a link connecting the crank and the lever arm forrocking the latter, whereby each half revolution of the crank rocks thelever through less than 180 degrees, a rotation-communicating part rigidwith the lever for being rocked therewith, and a lesserrotatioirreceiving member on the rock shaft operatively connected withthe rotation-communicating member; whereby the rock shaft is rockedthrough a greater angle than the lever arm.

8. In combination with the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing,means for rocking the rock shaft, consisting of a rotating crank, alever arm longer than the crank, a link connecting the crank and thelever arm for rocking the latter, whereby each half revolution of thecrank rocks the lever arm to less than 180 degrees, arotation-communieating part rigid with the lever for being rockedtherewith, a lesser rotation-receiving member on the rock shaft,operatively connected with the rotationcommunicating member, the ratioof the receiving to the communicating member being substantially thesame as the ratio of the crank link length to the lever length; wherebythe rock shaft is rocked through substantially 180 degrees.

9. In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, the printing blockholders being each an equilateral polygonal prism having its facesadapted for holding the printing block and mounted for rotation aboutits axis, and means for looking it against such rotation with a selectedface parallel to the strip-supporting surface of the table.

10. In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, the printingblock holders being equilateral polygonal prisms mounted for rotationabout their common axis, and means for locking them against suchrotation with any selected face parallel to the strip-supporting surfaceof the table, each of said prisms having at one end an axial pmtle andat the other end an axial socket to receive a corresponding pintle ofthe next holder, said pintle constituting the means for mounting theprisms for rotation about their axis.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hand at Chicago, this 3rdday of December, 1920.

TOM H. SPENCE. JULIUS A. TURNELL.

